What Is HPV?

HPV or the Human Papilloma Virus is not in any way connected to herpes or HIV, and the good news is that a vaccine is available. This virus has differing levels of high-risk and low-risk. If you are a high-risk research has shown that this can lead to you developing a cancer of the throat, skin, prostate, and cervix. Anyone who has an active sex life is at risk of developing HPV. Low-risk research has shown that you are most at risk of developing warts in any intimate areas.

HPV can go undetected

You can be developing the HPV virus long before you realize that you actually have it as signs of the infection are often not seen. Normal symptoms are burning and itching in and around your genital area, actual pain in the anus or genitals and unusual bleeding.

The administration of the Vaccine

In the last few years, an injection of the vaccine has been given to eleven and twelve-year-olds but this can still be given until females are twenty-one. It is thought that administering it earlier means it gets into the body and is working as they become sexually mature. Outward signs of HPV are visible warts that will develop on your genitals or around that area, for females if you have a cervical smear and an abnormal result comes back a test for the HPV virus is then done and also if the female asks for it to be performed. Although there is not a single test to look for the virus alone, males are never tested at all for the high-risk strain.

Because of the symptom signs of HPV are developing warts if you wish you can see if they do disappear of their own accord, it would be prudent however to discuss this option with a health professional. If you opt to have a course of treatment for these warts it can be anything from medicated creams to apply to the areas, lasers and freeze them is also a common way of treating. They may also require a biopsy of an actual wart for tested before any treatment plan is decided upon.

The Virus still remains even when the external symptoms abate

The virus will still be within your body even if you have all these warts taken away, and you can still infect any partners so a condom barrier will be needed to protect them during sex. It is thought that babies cannot catch this from their mum but if the HPV virus is present they will have extra smear tests throughout the duration of any pregnancy as the cervix can change.

Doctors are now campaigning for both men and women who have been subjected to the virus to be checked over if they developed the higher risk strain. This is due to the nature of the genital area and the skin to skin contact without any barrier put in place. Men, in particular, may have the actual virus and not be aware of this due to the fact that they are not currently tested for the high-risk strain.